CALGARY, AB – Prairie brewpub chain Brewsters Brewing has announced plans to expand distribution into liquor stores in Alberta later this year.

According to the Calgary Herald, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission is planning on combining the separate Class E Manufacturer (brewery) and Class E Brew Pub licenses into a single beer manufacturing license. This change will allow brewpubs such as Brewsters to start selling their beer as packaged product in the retail market, something which they cannot do currently.

Matt Lanigan, vice-president of Brewsters, tells the Herald that the company hopes to have beer available in bottle six-packs at a couple of Calgary liquor stores by the summer. A wider roll-out will likely follow a planned expansion to the main Brewsters facility in Calgary.